A Q&A with the diverse foursome.
In Montreal, we’ve had our share of cultural disappointments this year, with institutions like Blue Dog closing down, and noise complaints hailing from across town, threatening to kill the nightlife Montreal is known for.
That being said, we still have bands bringing in the heat and staying loud and proud. A great example of that is none other than Dali: a new wave rock band known for their gravelly rock textures, soulful melodies and contemplative lyrics. Dali is fronted by singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist Naïla, with David on lead guitar, Indiana on bass, and Pablo on drums.
The band was originally a two-person guitar duo formed by Naïla and David. The pair would attend open mics in Montreal with just two guitars and a hunger for performance. At that point, singer-songwriter Naïla had already written quite a few songs and was itching to play more shows with a bigger band.
“David brought on Pablo, who came to one of our rehearsals, and it really clicked,” says Naïla.
“Indie and Pablo are dating, and she also happened to have a bass, and we needed a bassist. It just worked. It was not really planned.”
Dali has been tearing up a number of Montreal bars this summer. From Quai des Brumes, to L’hémisphère gauche, to TurboHaus, you can find their tunes rushing crowds into moshpits and dance breaks.
Youmna for the McGill Daily (MD): Do you find that you all have similar musical tastes for you to become a band, or is it very eclectic throughout, and then you agreed on the sound for the band?
The four of us have a lot in common. Most of us like bands like Radiohead, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys. But we are also very different in certain aspects, especially when we’re writing songs. While coming up with solos, one of us could think of a certain Metallica phrase or riff or whatever that maybe the rest of us don’t necessarily know or listen to, but we all roll with it, and for whatever reason, it works with the tune. So, we guess both statements are true. Musically, it works because of bands and songs we have in common, but it also works because of our different influences.
MD: How would you describe a typical songwriting session with all four of you?
A: We have this new song, and we just jam to it. We created it this way pretty much, but we don’t write that much together. We’re trying more and more to collaborate even more on every aspect. We’ve had a few spontaneous moments and it feels so good once it comes all together organically. Also, sometimes [we] set out with a plan, and then the plan completely changes, and then “Woah”.
MD: What do you love most about playing live?
A: Playing live is really fun. We’re with different crowds all the time. Sometimes it could be people our age. Sometimes it’s that weird 47 year old guy that brought his friends, you know, but they’re really funny. soIt’s definitely cool to navigate all the different personalities of the crowd because they’re the one feeding the energy to the band.
MD: What’s one thing you would change in your gigs?
A: Maybe the fact that the crowd is mostly the one feeding us energy. We shouldn’t wait to receive energy to give it.
MD: What’s your favorite moment when you’re playing live in general?
A: Playing live is such a big release of energy. There’s a little bit of nervousness at the beginning, but then you release and then you have all this energy with the crowd, and it’s very powerful.
MD: What would be your song that made you fall in love with music and fall in love with making music?
P: I got into music kind of because of destiny. I just kinda fell into it. I was struggling to truly find the motivator that would propel me forward. And then I ran into the album Swimming by Mac Miller. I went deeper into his discography and him as an artist just kinda lit a little fire under me.
D: When I was 11 years old, I heard “All the Small Things” by Blink182 for the first time and it blew my mind. I was playing Guitar Hero on the Nintendo DS, like, the worst way you could play Guitar Hero and that’s what I played. The audio was really bad, but I heard the song and I loved it. I just thought it was so energetic [and] so catchy. It just stuck in my head. I remember my mom took me to see them when I was 12, and they played it.
N: When I was younger, I listened to a lot of psychedelic rock and I wanted to play a tune. I also listened to a lot of Quebec francophone music. I love to play and sing. I: I kinda always wanted to play music as an activity, and I did for six years. But when I was 15, I went to high school, and that’s when I met people that were 18 and they were making it their job. And I was like, “What? You can be a musician that young and play gigs at, like, 19? Okay. I’ll get serious.” And I did. An ex-boyfriend of mine got me into a conservatory. I did classical upper bass, and then I just continued. My mom is a photographer, so being an artist is normal. Even if she wanted to keep me away from it, she couldn’t, clearly.
MD: So why the name “Dali”?
A: It’s like Salvatore Dali and the clock painting. When you listen to a song or you play one, you’re kind of suspended in time, and time can feel different. Depending on the arrangement of the song, it can feel longer than three minutes. It’s just the way music can almost manipulate time, almost like a melting clock or something.
Be sure to follow Dali on their socials to keep up with their upcoming performances!